The Forgotten Knight
by framzero
Summary: It was time to forget. Asada kept on reminding herself that. It was time to forgive. Kazuto couldn't find forgiveness in a world of guilt. She was the murderer, and he was the victim. The game, their cure. They had finally found peace in the chaos they called their lives. Sword Art Online; once a game where they felt healing... now a game of life and death.
1. Destiny

**Chapter 0 - Destiny**

She was used to the stares.

Asada Shino walked down the hallway of the school, clutching her books tightly to her chest. Everyone had heard the rumor. Everyone had been shocked by the news. And now, she strode to her next class, trying to avoid the accusing glares, the angry outbursts, and the pointing fingers that were directed towards her. She was alone, and she knew it.

One year ago, when Asada had first enrolled in the new school, nobody seemed to know about her story. She was fine with it. The less they knew, the better. She had even made a friend for the first time in a few years. Her name had been Endou, and though she had never known her last name, they had been close. Talking to each other everyday, eating lunch together, and even sharing some personal secrets. Though, as time progressed, their relationship grew rotten, and Endou started treating Asada more like trash. She never knew the reason for it at the time, but when the two eventually parted, she finally understood.

Someone from her previous school had recently enrolled after being expelled. Apparently, he had heard that Asada went to his new school and immediately started a rumor. The rumor had been about her past, and sadly it was true. Soon enough, the story had spread throughout the school and the teasing started. At first, Asada thought it was manageable, light name-calling and aversions. But when the next year came, things went downhill. People started to stimulate her fear of guns by pointing fake pistols at her in the streets, bringing up the topic of her story in front of her again and again, and even trying to threaten her so she would leave the school.

"MURDERER!" someone called from the side. A group of boys started throwing paper balls and pencils at her. She didn't mind. It was an everyday thing.

School ended and she went home. For two years, she had been dreading the trip back, knowing that the remainder of the day would just be filled with homework and loneliness. That had all changed when she had received an email weeks before. It read:

**CONGRATULATIONS**

You have been chosen for the beta test of the popular new VRMMO Sword Art Online!  
>You are tester 987 and you will receive your package in: 5 days.<p>

**INTRODUCTORY INFORMATION**

Asada read the rest of the message in disbelief, not knowing how she had been chosen out of the thousands of entries to the beta test. She had entered a raffle for the famous game a month before, just an hour to the deadline. For a while, she had totally forgotten about the raffle until the topic had been brought up again in school. A group had said the raffle had been made and the winner was to be announced in June. The whole school had waited anxiously for the announcement the day of.

Asada had taken no time to check the website that posted the winner as she was busy with projects and missing schoolwork. But the day after, she had received the email. Excited, she danced around her apartment room until she fatigued herself enough to sit down and eagerly read the rest of the email. Then, five slow and obnoxiously boring days later, she received a rather large package. Asada frantically opened the package, and inside was a NerveGear helmet and a fresh new copy of Sword Art Online Beta.

* * *

><p>"Link Start!" Asada said. These were the two words that had kept her from the boredom and loneliness of her day for two months. This was the time she anxiously waited for at the end of school. She had finally found something that kept her from going insane. This was her therapy. This was her cure for the hurt that she felt everyday from the people she used to call her peers. And, Asada was thankful for that.<p>

Immediately, her vision faded to black. Then, vibrant colors surrounded her as the helmet around her head started the launch sequence. Asada closed her eyes as she anticipated her entry to the alternate dimension. A few seconds later, she heard crickets. Asada opened her eyes, only to gasp for the thousandth time at the scenery that unfolded around her. It was simply awe inspiring to see the work that was put into trying to make a game seem real. The grass around her feet swayed to the light breeze that delicately touched her face. The sun was just above the horizon, giving the image a slightly orange hue. Flat plains surrounded her as far as the eye could see. Flowers dotted the terrain, creating a peaceful atmosphere. Well, peaceful, if it weren't for the «Blue Boar» that was growling in front of her.

Asada instinctively switched to combat mode, not willing to risk her few remaining bits of col and items to respawn.

The boar reared back, preparing its charge. Asada pulled out her sword. The blade she held was a Level 8 sword, only acquired through the completion of a quest in the 3rd floor of the tower known as Aincrad. It was called «Light Reaper» and the sword held true to its name. Having ATK leveled at 3+ and a DUR of 4+, along with an AGI buff that added +2 to the stat, it cut down the mobs of the first floor with ease.

"HYAA!" Asada swung the sword down as the beast charged at her. The attack made contact and the boar let out a pained squeal, but Asada only managed to get its health down a third.

"Dammit," she cursed under her breath. She swung again as the beast started to run away, but her attempt was futile as the boar simply moved to the right and avoided her attack. The mob then turned around to attack again, this time however, Asada tried a different approach. The beast charged towards her, but instead of bringing her sword down immediately, she held it above her head and waited.

The blade started to glow blue. Then, at the last second, she swung the blade down, leaving a glowing trail of blue light at its wake. The attack hit and the boar squealed its last.

Asada sighed in relief as the boar shimmered for a second, then shattered into a cloud of triangular particles. A message of congratulation popped into her vision. She accepted the entry of the mob drop into her inventory. Then, she heard clapping. Asada turned around with her sword ready, then immediately recognized her target.

"Woah, calm down Sinon," as Asada Shino was known in this game, "no need to kill me." The individual chuckled then continued to walk as Sinon slowly put down her sword.

"Hi Junie." Sinon sheathed her sword then sat down in the grass.

"Hiya." Junie said with a smile. She sat down next to the weary player. Junie immediately took notice of her fatigue. "Tehe, a measly boar took all your energy?" She said with a little pout. Sinon looked at her, then punched her arm. Junie squeaked.

"Maybe." she said as Junie rubbed the area where her friend had punched her. There wasn't any pain Sword Art Online so it wasn't necessary to try and treat a wound, unless one was to be near death. Then a healing potion would be used. A moment of silence passed between the girls.

"Say, Sinon-san," Junie immediately put on a mischievous expression, "how's it going with that boy of your's?" Sinon went bright red.

"N-nothing!" Sinon covered her face with her hands in a hollow attempt to hide her embarrassment. "W-what made you bring that up?" Junie laughed as Sinon tried to calm her beating heart. She pulled at the still laughing player by the collar and shoved her face into hers.

"Talk about that again and I'll send you right back into respawn." Sinon said in mock anger. Junie simply chuckled.

"Bipolar, I see," Junie struggled to escape Sinon's death grip, "You'll never get him at this pace." Sinon started to blush again at her statement.

"S-s-shut up," Sinon let go of her friend. Junie hopped out of her range and risked another question.

"So," she struck a pose, "how's he like? You only told me his name... Kazuto was it?" Sinon glared daggers into Junie, then sighed in surrender.

"Fine," she started walking towards «Starting Town», "but you'll have to catch me first." Sinon sprinted down the pathway leading to the wall that surrounded the city.

"HEY!" Junie called after her. Knowing that Sinon had a significant amount of AGI. She decided to take the shorter path.

* * *

><p>A few minutes later they were sitting at a two player table at their favorite cafe. Junie was inhaling her noodle soup, whereas Sinon was staring at hers in discomfort.<p>

"You still haven't answered my question, Si-chan," Junie said through slurps.

"Do I really have to?" Sinon looked up. She was starting to regret telling the spirited girl about her crush.

"Yes," the girl said firmly. After a moment, Sinon finally decided to succumb to her friend's request.

"Fine," she said. Junie squealed in happiness, attracting the attention of the other players in the restaurant. Junie just smiled at them, then put both hands on the table and leaned forward, "So, what does he look like?" Sinon scratched her head. It had been a while since meeting the boy of her dreams.

Asada had first met Kazuto in a hallway near lunchroom. It was her first year, when the teasing hadn't started yet. There was a group of girls, in which Asada had somehow associated herself with. They were an ecstatic group of people, always smiling and laughing. Asada was the outlier, always silent and gloomy, but they had still let her in. One day, a new student enrolled. He immediately caught the attention of most girls in the school. His face bore a feminine look, and his hair was styled in a way that would be considered messy on others. But, he was an exception. He coupled his good looks with a great personality. All this added up to Kirigaya Kazuto, the first boy to ever rise up to the level of Julius, who was popular simply because he played soccer well, in popularity. And it was his first day, too. The group of girls that Asada had considered her friends immediately broke contact with her as they strove to get the attention of the new student. She had been disappointed for a while, but she got over it in a few days. Asada, being herself, pushed the thought of interacting with the boy far back into the corner of her brain. She knew, with her level of reputation, that she would never get up to his league. That was, until a few months later. Kazuto had been walking into the cafeteria when he bumped into her. Asada immediately apologized, not knowing who had collided with her. She started to walk away when she felt a hand grab her arm.

"Hey!" Asada looked up, then blanched when she realized who it was.

"Hi," Kazuto said. He looked around, then said, "Um, well this is embarrassing, but do you know where the library is?" Asada was busy taking in the sight in front of her to notice what he had just said. She finally realized that he was talking to her and snapped out of her trance.

"Hm? Oh! Sorry," Asada pushed a hair behind her ear as she let out a nervous chuckle. She struggled to look the boy in the eye, and when she tried, a slight blush came up to her cheeks. "What was that?" Kazuto looked at her in confusion.

"Well, I was wondering where the library was." he tilted his head slightly. Asada struggled to keep her rapidly beating heart from bursting out of her chest. She didn't seem to notice the blush crawling up her cheeks.

"Oh! It's just around that corner actually." Asada managed to spit out as she pointed towards the end of the hallway behind her. _Damn, I'm terrible at this_, she thought with agitation.

"Ha, silly me," Kazuto chuckled to himself. He walked around her. Asada trailed him with her eyes, then he turned around to face her. Asada quickly averted her gaze from him to a brick on the wall. "Well, thanks anyways," Kazuto gave her a small grin and walked away.

Asada was frozen. Her mind was in turmoil. She couldn't stop thinking about his face. _What is wrong with me?_ she thought. Asada Shino, attracted to the popular boy. She found herself grabbing her hair and groaning as the sudden realization hit her. He had talked to her, and she liked it.

Over the next few months, Asada and Kazuto shared small conversations and smiles in the hallways. But, as with all her past friends, that all ended when the rumors spread. Kazuto stopped meeting with her, and seemed to ignore her and even run away from her as she endeavored to get his attention. But, even through her disappointment, she still found that she liked him. In fact, she constantly tried to find a way to hate him, but couldn't. It wasn't his fault she was a murderer.

* * *

><p>Sinon finished her last bit of the answer and asked to leave. Junie, upset that her interrogation was over, tried to get Sinon to stay. But, with no avail. Sinon said her goodbye's and left the cafe. Then, suddenly noticing the time, she swiped her hand down. The menu opened with a small chiming sound. Sinon tapped on the display a few times, and pressed the "OK" button when the logout notice appeared. Then, her world went black.<p>

* * *

><p>Asada woke up. She did a quick sweep of her room. It was nighttime, judging from the darkness that blanketed the area. Asada sighed.<p>

"What a troublesome girl," she sighed as she pulled the NerveGear off of her head. Surprisingly, Asada found herself thinking about _him_ again. She let out an exasperated sigh.

"Never gonna happen Junie," Asada smiled as she pulled the covers over her head.

* * *

><p>He was used to the stares.<p>

Kirigaya Kazuto walked down the hallway, holding his book to his side. He watched as a group of girls pointed at him and giggled excitedly he looked in their direction. Everyone had heard about him. Everyone seemed to try to get his attention. There were moments where he regretted not hiding his face on the first day, as that would've avoided the claims of a "handsome boy" strolling around. Thoughts of escape filled his mind at times, but strategically planning a safe route away from the attention was an impossible task. He finally gave up hope as he found out that the news of his enrollment had finally spread to the few that apparently "lived under a rock" to those who acknowledged him.

But, even through his popularity, Kazuto had few friends. Mainly because he knew that every request to become his friend was only to try to get closer to him, or to take advantage of his looks. And as a result of this, he never had any strong interest in anyone as his friends were all boys who he had known since the beginning of his admission.

The lunch bell rang and Kazuto gathered his supplies. He had some missing homework to catch up on and he needed an area where he could do it in private. He looked around and saw people, people, and more people. He started walking faster in desperation, looking for an area to work peacefully. He didn't seem to notice a girl walking out of the lunchroom until he had bumped into her. He looked down at the girl and immediately took into notice that she was cute, which was rare for someone like him. She had a small face, coupled with a hairstyle that he thought gave her a more unique look. She bore an innocent aura that matched her looks. He froze for a second as he acknowledged her face.

"Sorry," the girl said quickly. She instantly tried to break away from the awkward situation walking in a stiff manner. Kazuto snapped out of his trance and grabbed her arm. He flinched, not knowing the reason behind his action. He started formulating a reply as the girl froze in place.

"Hey!" the girl turned around, then her face went pale when she seemed to recognize the boy in front of her.

"Hi," Kazuto said. He desperately tried to keep himself from blushing as he looked the girl in the eye. He thought of all the embarrassing moments in his life in a futile attempt to think of something other than her good looks. He finished formulating his excuse and said, "Um, well this is embarrassing, but do you know where the library is?" The girl seemed to freeze at the statement. Kazuto knew looking for the library was useless as it was filled with people during lunch hour, but he needed some time to talk to the girl.

After a moment, she seemed to snap out of her stupor. "Hm? Oh! Sorry," she chuckled as she pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. She seemed to have trouble looking back into his eyes much to Kazuto's elation. "What was that?"

"Well, I was wondering where the library was." Kazuto tilted his head. He didn't know why he did so, but he was rather pleased to see that the was girl was blushing.

"Oh! It's right around that corner actually," the girl pointed behind her. He looked over her shoulder to see a sign that read "Library." Kazuto, even if it was an excuse, felt rather ludicrous.

"Ha, silly me," he chuckled to himself. Kazuto thought to end the conversation before the memories of his embarrassment ran out. He started to walk away from her, regretting his decision to not ask her name. But, he knew if he did that, many would take notice into his liking of her. He started to walk in the direction of the library when he turned around to say, "well, thanks anyways." The girl seemed to have been staring at him and immediately stared at the wall. Kazuto chuckled silently at the unease of the girl as he walked towards his false destination.

* * *

><p>Kazuto coughed up blood as the man punched him in the stomach. He fell to his knees, gasping for air as his attacker pulled him up by his hair.<p>

"Listen to me, you useless piece of shit," he punched Kazuto in the gut again, "give me the rest of your money or I'll kill your sister." The man slammed the boy's head against the wall. Kazuto crumpled, nearly unconscious and bleeding. He had worked hard for the money he was about to give up. A couple of hour's worth of washing dishes and cleaning the restaurant he worked at. He weakly reached into his pocket and pulled out the wad of money he had earned at his part-time job. The man snatched the bills out of his hand, "That's a good boy." Kazuto's father then went on to kick him in the abdomen one more time, then left him on the ground.

"Gack," Kazuto clutched his stomach and threw up. The pain was almost unbearable, it washed over him like a wave, but he had gone through worse. He pushed himself up, using the wall as support and started to walk back to the apartment complex.

"Hi, Onii-chan," his sister, Suguha, walked up to him from the dark room. She hugged her brother, causing him to wince, "father hit you again, didn't he?" Sugu looked into his eyes, worry was written all over her face. Ever since their mom had died, Kazuto, Sugu, and their father had been left to fend for themselves. For a few months, it had been fine. Money hadn't been a problem as his father worked part-time as an engineer, and they had been holding up pretty well, despite their feelings towards their mother's death. He had been eight at the time of her passing, and since then, he never felt complete. He had secluded himself from others, leading to where he was now. A lonely, hurt boy who happened to attract a lot of attention.

A few years passed, and their father started drinking. He had been fired from his job for being too violent towards other employees. Since then, he yelled, beat, and abandoned him and his sister. And every now and then, his father would come back to collect any money that Kazuto had earned... even if it meant nearly beating him to death in an alley to get it.

"I'm fine, Sugu," he smiled weakly down to his sister. He put his arms around her and held her tight. His abdomen hurt, but that was nothing close to the pain that Sugu went through every day when their father visited. He didn't know what happened between his father and her every time he visit as he was kicked out, but the sheer pain and sadness on her face afterwards told him everything. "You want to play with me?" he mentioned towards the two NerveGears hidden in a box under the couch. Sugu's face lit up.

"Sure!" she pulled the box out from under the chair and pulled out the helmets and two copies of Sword Art Online. They had been lucky to get both items as they had to raise a ton of money for the NerveGears and had to wait patiently to get both copies of the beta to the popular VRMMO, Sword Art Online. Three months, in fact. But nonetheless, they had found something to distract them from the torture and suffering they went through. Sugu and Kazuto put on the helmets and loaded the game into the cartridge. They sat down on the couch

"Link start!" the pair said in unison. Kazuto's vision went black, then was suddenly flooded with a torrent of vibrant colors. The helmet around his head did a quick check on itself, beeping every time a check was successful, then faded to white.

Kazuto heard crickets. He opened his eyes and gasped for the millionth time at the scenery that surrounded him. Hills gently rolled across the horizon, the moon bathed the landscape in a silky white, and the stars sparkled in the night sky. He heard a small sneeze and turned to face his sister. Kazuto put on a face as something seemed to be off about her. When he found the change however, he laughed out loud.

"What is it?" Sugu, or Leafa as she was known in the game, said with a curious expression as her brother doubled over in laughter. Kazuto struggled to get the words out of his mouth. He looked up again, only to laugh even harder as another frog jumped onto her face and started to suck on her cheek. Leafa looked downwards to see an amphibian attached to her and screamed, "Get it off of me!" She attempted to pull the creature off but failed to do so. They seemed to be glued to her face. She then went to more drastic measures and pulled her dagger out, planning to cut both frogs off. Before she could do so, however, more frogs hopped out of the bush and covered every inch of her body. She screamed louder this time, then cried for help. Kazuto was on the ground, unable to contain himself. The scene was simply too comical.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: There you have it guys! The rewrite of my previous story _SAO Parallels: Forgotten._ I know this isn't in any way similar to the original, but I'm getting there... in about 23034854309 chapters. No worries. Just FYI, this is technically my first fanfiction as I had finally taught myself how to write properly (for once). So, don't expect too much from this. (hehe)**

**Also, I apologize for such a short chapter. But, I needed to write this quickly as Christmas came up and I needed to write and release the second chapter (no spoilers) on the Sunday of the next week. And, I also apologize for the darkness of this chapter (you know, Kazuto's dad being the best father in the world) and the way I introduced both of them (pretty much copied the stories) as I was terribly sleepy and felt too lazy to remove or change those parts of the story.**

**ANYWAYS, A BIG THANKS TO A COUPLE OF MY FRIENDS FOR LOOKING OVER AND REVISING THIS. Much appreciation.**

**Next up: **Reality

* * *

><p><em><strong>DISCLAIMER: I do not own Sword Art Online or its characters. Just this AU and my OCs.<strong>_


	2. - UPDATE (sorry) -

**UPDATE: **I've begun writing the next chapter, unfortunately, but I've run out of ideas. So, what I want to do is take suggestions down in the comments of how the next chapter should go. I apologize for such the late update, buuut writer's block so bear with me here. I might use this system in the next chapters as I want to let you, the readers, contribute to the story. You know, to give it a "personal" reading experience (if that's the right word to use).

Nonetheless, I hope to see your comments of how the next chapter should go, and, you never know, I might add it to the story.

- Framzero (I changed my username again, haha)


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